Sunday, December 2, 2012

James Iha will return to Europe for a series of stripped back shows in December that will see him playing acoustic with backing from Steve Schiltz (Hurricane Bells, Longwave, Albert Hammond Jr.) on electric guitar. He’ll be performing a selection of material from his successful 1998 solo debut, Let It Come Down, from this year’s critically acclaimed and long-awaited follow-up, Look To The Sky and a few surprises from elsewhere too.

James Iha began his career as a co-founder of The Smashing Pumpkins in Chicago in 1987. He recorded and toured with the group until 2000, during which time they released ten albums and became one of the biggest bands of the era, selling tens of millions of albums and filling arenas worldwide. In addition to his guitar playing and singing, James was also a contributing songwriter to the band, co-writing some of their most loved songs, including Mayonnaise and Soma from Siamese Dream.

After his time with the Smashing Pumpkins, James co-founded a record label, Scratchie Records, as well as a NYC based recording studio, Stratosphere Sound, which he co-owns with Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger. In addition to his own compositions, James has produced songs for numerous artists including Michael Stipe, Cat Power, and two critically-acclaimed albums for Swedish band The Sounds, and has done remixes for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Ladytron. Other projects have included film scores for Japan’s Linda Linda Linda and the independent film Luck. In 2003, he joined the acclaimed progressive rock band A Perfect Circle, featuring members of Tool and Marilyn Manson, and he continues to tour with the band today.

Look To The Sky is James' first solo album in nearly 15 years, and features guests such as Karen O and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara, Nathan Larson of Shudder To Think and Television’s Tom Verlaine. It was released last month in the US and earlier this year in Japan. It will be released in the UK on November 5, through The End Records.